


Slow

by EmotionalSupportPuma



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2019-11-10
Packaged: 2021-01-27 03:04:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21385033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmotionalSupportPuma/pseuds/EmotionalSupportPuma
Summary: Tannis had been hoping her confusing feelings for Maya would dissipate over time.
Relationships: Maya/Patricia Tannis
Comments: 6
Kudos: 31





	Slow

You know, in most cases time away from things made an ordeal easier to handle. Unfortunately, human contact was not one of those cases and apparently neither was the  _ desire _ for human contact. Or rather the desire for a specific human's contact. Which ended up being an incredibly unlucky turn of events. 

It had been a few years by this point since Maya left to return to Athenas. Some of the other Crimson Raiders kept in touch with her still, but honestly why would she if there wasn't a need to? Tannis loathed talking to others even when it was of vital importance. She could handle conversing with Lilith occasionally and that was fine by her. If there were important updates on Maya's life, then Lilith would often mention it in passing. Her own lack of concern over the updates led Tannis to believe the confusing attraction had petered off on its own.

That conclusion was soundly destroyed the second Lilith called up Maya on the big screen of Sanctuary III's control room. After the newest set of Vault Hunters were sent to Athenas to aid her, Tannis was left on the far side of the room staring into empty space. For the first time in...a very long time...her thoughts were at a standstill.

"Hey, uh," Lilith paused to let her startle into the present before continuing, "you've got some…"

The Firehawk mimed wiping her nose, and when Tannis mimicked the motion her fingers came away wet. She hadn't even felt the nosebleed start, which was mildly concerning.

"Thought you were getting better about that."

Tannis scoffed and wiped her face again, "I was. Progress isn't always linear."

Lilith patted her shoulder lightly, the reaction only the slightest of flinches. And no vomiting. Progress was progress, even if it only included being better at handling a single person. She wouldn't have agreed to stay on Sanctuary III if it had been anyone else who asked. Not that Lilith had asked, so much as insisted for her own safety. 

"Go get that taken care of, the important stuff is over with for now."

___

When Maya deigns to visit the raiders at last, after a handful of years that felt longer than she would ever be willing to admit, Tannis considers locking herself in the Medical bay. To her it feels like a reasonable reaction. She has made progress in leaps and bounds when it comes to...putting up with the other inhabitants of Sanctuary III, but that does not change the fact that everybody has a limit.

Tannis' limit has, apparently, grown alongside her own progress. When Maya steps in to say hello, she doesn't vomit. No nosebleeds either. 

"You still don't disgust me."

"It's nice to see you again too, Tannis."

The Siren's words have a warmth to them that makes her skin prickle. Conversation shouldn't feel the way sitting by a fireplace does, they've always been a forced affair. They wither away in her mouth, choking Tannis with the taste of ash and discomfort. But they have never been a soft glow that leads her thoughts to relish the feeling. 

"I hate it."

Maya looks like she mulls the words over in her head, "I suppose it's better you hate me for not disgusting you than hate me  _ for _ disgusting you."

"I don't hate you." Tannis is shocked, "I hate that there is no science behind these feelings."

And really, there isn't any science that she can discern, nothing social that she has attempted to experiment with has ever felt quite like this. Even her friendship with Lilith doesn't have the same confusing reactions within her body that seeing Maya again after a few years does. She understands why the Firehawk has become a safe person to interact with, after everything that they've gone through together. Tannis might not understand the  _ need _ for human relations, but she can understand the chemicals in her brain that cause them.

She's slept with people before too, sex being another relation she doesn't understand the need for, but can see the benefits of within the brain. Even that doesn't have the same twisting in her guts that making eye contact with Maya does. Silver-blue eyes crinkle at the corners, filled with emotions that Tannis has never been one to read. It makes her cheeks warm and for a second she fears that a nosebleed is coming on.

"There's your problem, I think. Feelings aren't really a science kind of thing."

She squints in confusion, "Of course they're a science thing. Everything has a science behind it."

The confusion only intensifies when Maya begins to laugh. Tannis hadn't made a joke, and she certainly hadn't stumbled over her words, or anything that the average person might laugh at her for. But then again, Maya isn't exactly the average person. 

"Okay, you have a point." Of course she does, or else she wouldn't have said it, but Maya continues before she can say so, "What I meant was it's okay to have the feelings even if you don't get  _ why _ . You know?"

She doesn't like the implication of Maya's words, that it's something she understands but Tannis doesn't. If anyone else had said that the conversation would have been over in an instant and they'd never set foot near her again. But like many other things she has made assumptions about before, it's different coming from Maya.

Maybe it's the fact that, really, Tannis does have an inkling about what's going on. If it's not sex, not friendship, not even a scientific curiosity, there is only one other answer that she can think of. Romantic feelings. Something that she'd never fathomed wanting before, a  _ crush _ , ugh the word alone made her skin crawl. 

"You  _ knew _ ." Tannis spit out incredulously.

"I had a hunch, after that uh...anonymous letter." Maya shrugged with a small smile, "but it was Lilith who confirmed."

"What does she have to do with this?"

"We talk, often. Lilith said that whenever she'd visit you and mention how I was doing...you'd stop what you were doing. It was like the one time you gave her your undivided attention if it wasn't about eridium."

Tannis opened and closed her mouth a couple times, trying to piece together the thoughts running circles in her head. She hadn't actually done that, had she? The thought of Lilith paying that much attention to her habits was mildly uncomfortable, but perhaps that was what friends did. Maybe they immediately snitched on the friend they were watching too. 

"So, what now?" She asked, because she hasn't the foggiest clue of where to go next.

"Uh...well, I guess this is the part where I say the feelings are mutual? I'm not the epitome of experience in this department either."

Maya looked over at her, all warmth and smiles, which had never been so comforting before. She took a step closer and then another, until they are standing side by side against a table. Physical contact was not Tannis' forte. 

"We can take this slow." Maya laughed softly, "I'm asexual, after all, slow is how I prefer it."

Tannis nodded, a thoughtful frown on her face. Slow...she could handle that. But after a moment she looked into Maya's eyes again. She still couldn't read the emotions hiding in their depths, wondering idly if her own were as mysterious or if they bared her soul to others. It was a thought she'd never had before.

"Can I kiss you?" 

The words tumble out before Tannis can stop them. Maya laughed again, a sound that brings heat under her cheeks again. Rather than answer with her words, the Siren leaned down carefully. For a moment they breathed each other's air, neither of them having the gall to close the distance yet.

Tannis found her bravery first, bumping their noses together roughly once before finding a softer way to make their lips meet. The feeling of it is almost overwhelming in its relief. Her thoughts stuttering to halt as at  _ last _ her body has caught up to her wants and it is so,  _ so _ good. She wanted to repeat the action over and over. To test the boundaries, to see what kind of reactions they pull in her each time, a scientist until the end. 

Unfortunately, the moment is dashed rather quickly as Tannis feels a warmth dripping down her face. The two of them startle apart at the same time. Maya wiped at her face, struggling to hold in her laughter as her fingers came away crimson. Mortification tingles in Tannis' fingertips and she shuffled from one foot to the other.

"I am- that's! Uh, not what-" 

Maya saved her from the struggle, "It's cool, it's cool. Actually kinda cute...in a weird way."

"Like me?" Tannis offered her attempt at a joke.

"Yeah, like you."

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote this for a good friend of mine! Because we both love Tannis and she deserves all of the attention.


End file.
